Gopher State Locates

Overview
Residents or contractors planning to dig or otherwise disturb or excavate soil are required to call Gopher State One Call (GSOC) at 651-454-0002 at least 2 business days before actually digging.

GSOC will notify utility providers to locate services that are installed in the area.

Work-Site Questions
The attendant at GSOC will ask for detailed information about the work site. Some of the questions include:

What type of work is being done

Where is the work site located

How long will the work take

What are the township, range, section and quarter section coordinates, the legal description, of the work site

Property Description
The legal description of the property is very important and may be obtained from your property tax statement.

Once the call is complete, a ticket number will be issued. This ticket number is very important and should be kept until the work is completed in case any questions arise.

It also serves as proof that the call center was notified. It is helpful to mark the proposed excavation site with white wooden stakes or white paint.

Once notified, the utility companies determine whether they need to locate their underground utilities near the proposed dig site.

They may not mark any private utilities, i.e. power to garage, gas grill or LP lines, etc. If they determine that they do not need to locate their utilities, they call back to GSOC and indicate this.
Process Continued
After 24 hours from the initial call, a person may call back to GSOC, provide the attendant with the ticket number, and they will be able to verify what utilities have cleared the area.

If the utilities cannot clear the work area, they will mark the location of underground utilities on the lot. If the dig site has been marked with white stakes, the utilities will mark out that area.

If no white stakes are used, they may mark the entire lot. Utilities usually use paint or flags to mark the area, depending on soil and weather conditions.

Minnesota State Statute Chapter 471.701 requires that
"A city or county with a population of more than 15,000 must annually notify its residents of the positions and base salaries of its three highest-paid employees."